Children can enjoy a quiet hour at a Burton toy store as offers a more autism-friendly shopping experience, cluing turning off all load demonstration toys.

The Entertainer, which is based in The Octagon shopping centre, has now launched its more friendly shopping time for those who are on the autism spectrum.

It started today, Monday, February 12, and will offer a calmer and less daunting environment for youngsters with autism for the first hour of every day, Monday to Friday, the for next two weeks.

Store manager Jo Griffiths said: "For the next two weeks our store will be turning off the store music and all loud demo toys to provide an experience that is more comfortable and enjoyable for people with autism."

This is not the first time a Burton store has offered a calm environment for children with autism as previously Toys R Us, which used to have a shop in Coopers Square shopping centre, held a similar event at Christmas time. Shopping can be stressful and overwhelming for people with autism, especially when the town centre becomes crowded, which can cause anxiety for them.

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The Octagon shopping centre is owned by Cushman and Wakefield. Centre general manager Peter Hardingham said: "This is a fantastic introduction by the store that not only helps raise awareness of autism but also helps to reduce the potential stress for shoppers with this condition. We will be following their example by turning off the centre's music until 10am over the same two-week period."

Autism is a lifelong developmental disability that affects how people perceive the world and interact with others, says the National Autistic Society.

Autistic people see, hear and feel the world differently to other people. If you are autistic, you are autistic for life; autism is not an illness or disease and cannot be 'cured'. Often people feel being autistic is a fundamental aspect of their identity.

Autism is a spectrum condition. All autistic people share certain difficulties, but being autistic will affect them in different ways. Some autistic people also have learning disabilities, mental health issues or other conditions, meaning people need different levels of support. All people on the autism spectrum learn and develop. With the right sort of support, all can be helped to live a more fulfilling life of their own choosing.

How common is autism?

Autism is much more common than most people think. There are around 700,000 autistic people in the UK - that's more than 1 in 100. People from all nationalities and cultural, religious and social backgrounds can be autistic, although it appears to affect more men than women.

How do autistic people see the world?

Some autistic people say the world feels overwhelming and this can cause them considerable anxiety.

In particular, understanding and relating to other people, and taking part in everyday family, school, work and social life, can be harder. Autistic people may wonder why they are 'different' and feel their social differences mean people don't understand them.

Autistic people often do not 'look' disabled. Some parents of autistic children say that other people simply think their child is naughty, while adults find that they are misunderstood.